Chương 25: Signs of Disaster

The adventure guild, third floor. Inside a beautifully decorated office, an imposing man with slicked-back hair, streaked with gray, was sitting behind a desk, his golden-brown eyes tinged with a hint of solemnity. He was the president of the adventure guild branch in Mirevale, Richard Valencrest. Tall and broad-shouldered, Richard possessed the calm yet oppressive aura of a seasoned veteran. A thin scar stretched from the corner of his jaw to his neck, partially hidden beneath the collar of his dark coat.

Seated on the sofa across the desk was a beautiful woman with long violet hair cascading down her back like silk. Her blue eyes shone with the light of wisdom. She wore a dark blue robe embroidered with silver patterns, which glowed faintly as the sunlight shone on them. The tight-fitting design outlines her mature figure without appearing vulgar. She was the vice president of the Mirevale branch's adventure guild, Selene Vaelrys. Unlike Richard's oppressive presence, Selene exuded a quiet and elegant vibe.

However, the occasional mana fluctuations she emitted hinted at her terrifying power.

"The situation is getting worse." Richard slowly said as he looked at several reports spread across the desk, his brows furrowed.

"Within just a few months, the number of goblin sightings around Mirevale increased by nearly fourfold. Several caravans disappeared near the eastern road, and over a dozen villages reported attacks on their livestock and granary. Not to mention the increasing number of women kidnapped."

"Even after annihilating many of their settlements, the situation hadn't gotten better; in fact, it's getting worse." Selene crossed her legs and lightly tapped the table with her fingers.

"This goes far beyond the occasional goblin surge." She picked up one of the reports and carefully read it.

"They're very well coordinated, and their influence has spread across half of the outer range of the Silverbark forest bordering the kingdom. Other towns have also reported a sharp increase in goblin activity nearby, but none to the extent of Mirevale." Richard narrowed his eyes, a cold light flashing in them.

"It seems that the answer is clear." Selene nodded in agreement.

"An aberrant individual has appeared, and judging by their influence range, it's one of the three. A high hobgoblin, a high goblin shaman, or a goblin lord." She paused for a moment before continuing.

"They should still be at rank 2. Otherwise, they would have launched an assault a long time ago. However, they should be an exceptional one within rank 2, judging by the extent of their influence." Selene judged calmly. Richard closed his eyes and pondered for a moment before picking up another report and placing it in front of Selene.

"If it were just the presence of a goblin tide, I wouldn't have called you back to Mirevale so urgently. Look at this, during a routine settlement annihilation, one of the parties found some unusual traces in the depths of the goblin cave." Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. Selene's eyes shrank as a certain symbol came into her sight.

"Cultists? And this symbol… Is it the old Imperial cult?" Selene no longer had that serene look on her face. A trace of solemnity appeared in her eyes as she looked at the cult symbol. The danger of the old imperial cult was far from what a rank 2 goblin tide can compare to.

They were a group of madmen that revel in biological experiments and the creation of abominations, following the footsteps of the tyrant of heaven, the otherworldly demon, the man who was known as the Emperor of Mankind over a thousand years ago. If these guys are involved, then the situation is completely beyond their control.

"Did you call me back to investigate the cult's trace?" Selene looked at Richard's eyes and asked. Seeing him nod, her eyebrows twitched slightly.

"That's a bit beyond my power, okay? Shouldn't you call the kingdom's investigation bureau? Or at least send a letter to the guild's branch in Tarnfell, or even the capital?" Selene looked at him with wide eyes, wondering whether this guy was serious.

"Calm down a bit; the situation hadn't come to that point yet. It's just some traces in one cave. I've sent my subordinates to investigate other goblin settlements, and they haven't found another trace yet, so we can't rashly make conclusions," Richard smiled and said.

"You also know how those guys in the investigation bureau are. If I invite them and they don't find anything of value, they will undoubtedly make things difficult for me. The same goes for the higher branches of the guild. I can't call for help yet, at least until I find conclusive evidence of their activities near Mirevale." Richard took a sip from a teacup near him and said.

"Then, how about the abnormal goblin tide? Is that not enough proof of the involvement of the cult?" Selene narrowed her eyes and said.

"Not enough. A goblin tide of this scale might even affect a dozen towns and hundreds of villages, making it a massive headache for us, but it's insignificant to the investigation bureau and the branch in Tarnfell. As long as it doesn't spiral out of control and a rank 3 monster appears, we can at most ask some powerful adventurer parties from Tarnfell for help." He concluded.

"That's why I need you to investigate, Selene. Only a mage of your caliber can possibly investigate the old imperial cult and retreat undetected." He looked at her beautiful lake-blue eyes and sincerely said.

"Sigh… Fine. I'll do it. In the meantime, try clearing as many goblin settlements as possible before the goblin tide explodes." Selene sighed in resignation and added.

"Of course. I'll ask the Baron to prepare his army, and I'll negotiate with the nearby towns' presidents to see if I can get some assistance. Mirevale is the town with the largest fluctuation in goblin activities after all. I've already sent some veteran adventurers to investigate the depths of Silverbark. If we can find the location of the aberrant goblin, we can quickly quell this disaster." Richard nodded and stated his plans.

"Hmm, you're quite prepared, aren't you? In that case, I'm off. I also need to prepare." Selene smiled and walked out, slamming the door behind her.

"It seems she's quite upset." Richard smiled wryly, but that's to be expected. He called her back from her vacation for such a troublesome issue. No one would willingly want to deal with those cult madmen. Placing down his tea cup, he continued processing the documents.

In the Hearth & Horn's inn, in his room, Kyle was drying himself, having just taken a shower. Looking at his reflection in the small mirror, a handsome youth with a lean body was looking back. He struck a pose, admiring his muscles and toned 6-pack abs for a moment before putting on his clothes. Donning his shiny leather armor and strapping his beloved sword to his waist, Kyle slowly walked out of the inn.

'It should be around 7 or 8 am; there's still enough time.' Kyle thought as he looked at the clear sky. He walked through the busy streets of Mirevale, taking in the scenery along the way. He keenly noticed the anxious expression on many people's faces and their hurried footsteps.

'It seems that the goblin problem hasn't been solved yet.' He concluded. Kyle soon swept this to the back of his mind. If the sky falls, the tall ones will hold it up. It isn't his turn to worry about a disaster that has swept the entirety of Mirevale and its vicinity. Passing by a magic item shop called Whisperleaf Curios, Kyle stopped and looked at it for a moment.

He couldn't help but recall the embarrassment he felt three months ago when he confidently entered it with his two gold coins, only to quickly walk back out when he found that he couldn't buy even the cheapest item. He took one last glance before continuing to walk to the guild. He would come back once he has enough money.